31 January 2012  The United Nations humanitarian agency reported today that an estimated 117,000 people have been affected by two tropical storms in Mozambique last week, adding that it is closely monitoring the situation.

According to Government reports, 40 people have been killed so far by the heavy rains, and numbers expected to climb following ongoing assessments of the situation.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the biggest priority is to provide shelter and 16,000 survival kits for those whose houses have been destroyed, as the rains have also destroyed designated community shelters such as schools and churches.

OCHA stated that damage assessments continue throughout the country, and warned that internal country resources may not be enough to respond to emerging needs.